Playing the Fools
by SprouseGoose
Summary: Just a twist on Cody and Bailey being back together.  Instead of focusing on the actual reunion, this is just my idea of what happens afterwards.  Its set after A London Carol.
1. The Secret

_Chapter 1_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_I'm setting this story after A London Carol with a slight twist._

It was late January, and Christmas break had officially been over for several weeks now. Everyone was back in class, and they were beginning their final semesters at Seven Seas High. And as such, everyone's lives were getting back to normal. So, it was with that a group of seniors were hanging out on the skydeck. Zack was working his shift at the smoothie bar while his girlfriend Maya was in between waiting tables. Cody was finishing up the end of his shift as towel boy, while London, Bailey, Woody and Addison were sitting around the smoothie bar with drinks in their hands. As Cody finished his shift, he came over to the smoothie bar to get a drink himself.

As Zack was fixing his drink, he looked at his brother. "Hey, Codester...I need to ask you a favor..."

Cody sighed. "This should be good..."

Zack grinned. "This time it will be a something you'll actually enjoy..."

"I have no idea why I'm about to say this, but let's hear it..."

"Well, one of Maya's friends is coming on board this weekend to visit her..."

"And that has what to do with me?"

Zack grinned again. "Well, this weekend is the Winter Ball...I need you to be her date for the evening."

Cody shook his head. "Nope."

"Why not?"

Cody laughed. "Zack, I would have thought by now you would know better than ask me to be your wing man...It never works out well for you."

Zack smirked. "Ha ha...Seriously though, I really need a huge favor here. Maya promised her we'd find her a date for the dance, and with Woodchuck going with Addison and Marcus gone, you're all I've got..."

Cody smirked back. "I can just feel the brotherly love...But, once again, Zack, I'm not interested. I'm not planning on going to the Winter Ball..."

"Why not?"

Cody sighed. "If you must know, there is supposed to be a meteor shower that night I was planning on watching."

Zack shook his head. "You know, sometimes I wonder if we're actually brothers..."

"Sometimes? I ask myself the same thing everyday..." Cody checked his watch. "Anyways, my shift is over and I'm heading to the library to do some homework...Later..." And with that, Cody headed off.

Zack turned to his friends. "What is wrong with him?"

Woody shrugged. "Don't look at me. I set him with my sister, and he broke her heart..."

Addison spoke up. "Didn't she also break wind in front of him?"

"What's your point?"

Meanwhile, Cody went back to his cabin, changed, and headed to the library. Finding a secluded table, he pulled out his laptop and began working on a paper. Well, he did until he found two hands cover his eyes.

"Guess who?"

Cody smiled. "Hmmm. Let me think...Reina?"

One of the hands smacked him upside the back of his head. "Not funny!"

Cody turned and smiled even brighter. "I was hoping it was you..."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh...So, I can do this..." Cody leaned in and placed a hungry, passionate kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, he heard the sweetest sound in the world – that laugh. "You have any idea how much I missed hearing that?"

Bailey smiled. "I'm happy I have a reason to do it again..."

"Me too..."

"I can't believe its already been a month, and no one has figured out we're back together..."

"Except Kirby...He did catch us again..."

Bailey grinned. "Fortunately, he was so happy for us that he promised not to say anything..."

Cody smiled. "Well, most of the time, we meet here in the library. Who else do we know who actually comes in here let alone knows where it is?"

"Very true...Though, I'm pretty sure I've sent you back to your cabin with lipstick smudges a few times...How did Woody not notice?"

Cody laughed. "Easy...I tell him I was having a cherry popsicle. He gets upset I didn't bring him one or begins dreaming of one himself, and he forgets I'm there. Though, I would have thought he would have recognized that my nightmares of a life without you have been replaced with pleasant dreams of having you back..."

Bailey giggled again. "Good. And I'm sure London hasn't noticed either, but I'm still grateful to her..."

"Me too. If she hadn't told us about seeing her Christmas Future where we were married, we might not have laughed about it and then actually had that heart to heart talk..."

"I'm so glad we did. I hated life without you. I'm still sorry for being so stubborn and stupid..."

"I'm sorry too. Bails, I promise you I will never be that stubborn or stupid again. I hope you know that I'm never letting you go ever again..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him again. "Good, because I never going to let you go ever again either..."

Cody smiled. "It has been kind of nice having it just be the two of us for the past month. No one else intruding in our business, getting on our case for showing you how much I love you..."

"I know...But, its getting harder and harder to see you out on the boat and not run up to you and kiss you and tell you that I love you..."

"I feel the exact same way...But, it will all be over this weekend when we show up to the Winter Ball as a couple once again..."

Bailey smiled. "Nice save by the way with the meteor shower comment..."

Cody smiled back. "I didn't lie. Remember, we are going to have a picnic while we watch it before we head off to the dance..."

"I can't wait!"

"Me either. Remember, I'll meet you at One of a Kind, and we'll leave from there."

"8 o'clock sharp..." Bailey paused. "What did you mean about you being Zack's wing man never worked out for him?"

Cody blushed. "Well, the first time he tried it was with the twins, Jessica and Janice. We ended the evening with them sitting on either side of me and Zack by himself. Later, we went to a movie with them, and the next thing I knew, I had two heads laying on my shoulders..."

Bailey laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah. And then when you were away visiting London's grandmother, he tricked me into to it again. He got mad when I wouldn't cooperate with his plan. He even tried to blackmail me. But it turns out the girl he liked was being a wing woman for her friend who wanted to get to know me better..."

Bailey was shocked. "He did that?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah..."

"What a jerk! Did he not care how that would make me feel?"

"Zack care about someone other than himself?" Cody shook his head. "Anyways, it blew up in both of their faces. The other girl and I went away and she talked about her boyfriend while I talked about you the whole time. We just talked about how much we loved our paramours..."

Bailey sighed. "I knew I should have trusted you. Cody, I'm sorry. I promise I will never doubt you again..."

Cody took her hands in his. "All I ask is that if you have concerns, you come talk to me immediately. But Bails, I promise I will never do anything to hurt you. I love you. You are the only woman to ever have my heart..."

Bailey smiled. "I promise you that I will. But I have no doubts that you are mine and mine alone. Just like I am yours and yours alone. I love you too. And Cody, you are the only one to ever have my heart too...I'd like to thank you for showing me what it really meant to love someone."

Cody smiled back and kissed her. "I can't wait until Saturday night when I can profess my love for you for all the world to hear...And then, in a few weeks, we can spend a romantic Valentine's Day together..."

"I can't wait either..." Bailey checked her watch and sighed. "We only have an hour before curfew..."

Cody grinned. "Then I better get as many of these while I can..." And with that, he leaned in and kissed her once again.

_Meanwhile, Back in Kettlecorn_

Moose was over for Grammy Pickett's 90th birthday. He had hoped Bailey would have come home for it, and he was disappointed that she hadn't. Clyde had to explain to him that times were tough, and they didn't have the money to fly her back.

Moose paused. "How has she been doing lately?"

Clyde finished shucking an ear of corn. "Well, its kinda strange. When we talked to her on Christmas night, she seemed different. It was almost like I could hear the smile in her voice. She was so upset about breaking up with that boy for so long, I didn't ask questions. I was just so happy she seemed happy..."

Moose shook his head. "I should have told her not to trust the Little Feller. You know as well as I do that you can trust city folk..."

Clyde shrugged. "You're probably right, but for a year, that Cody boy made her happy. I'd never seen her so happy before. She even mentioned that had talked about wedding plans..."

Moose looked at Clyde incredulously. "And you were going to let that happen?"

Clyde laughed. "Like I have any say in the matter. Bailey has always been different from my other girls. She had her own dreams she wanted to pursue. She loves the farm, but I knew from an early age that Kettlecorn would never hold her..."

Moose shook his head. "You should never have let her go on that boat in the first place! Its changed her! I saw it when I went there. She's around people who are putting foolish ideas in her head. She needs to come back to the farm where she belongs!"

Clyde sighed. "That ain't ever going to happen. She has her eyes set on going to college and being a doctor for kids. Moose, I ain't one to get in the way of my little girl's dreams. I just want her to be happy..."

"And she'd be a lot happier back here in Kettlecorn!"

"Well, I'd love to have her back, but I don't think its going to happen..." Clyde stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go give Momma her pills..."

Moose nodded, but continued to sit their stewing. "Bailey, you may think you know what you want, but you're wrong. I know what's best for you..." He continued to think while he continued to shuck. "That settles it! I'm going to that boat and bringing her back here where she belongs!"

_To be Continued..._


	2. The Night Begins

_Chapter 2_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

Finally, the day of the Winter Ball arrived. And a certain couple with a secret had been busy the past couple of days. Cody, realizing it would look suspicious if he walked out of his room in his tuxedo to go look at a meteor shower, had already taken his tuxedo to One of a Kind to store it there. Bailey had told him she had a new dress for the special occasion, and it too had already been hid away. Of course, both were excited and anxious for that night. Because once it was over, there would be no more sneaking around, and they could be very public with their affections for each other. Of course, no matter how discrete they thought they were, others were beginning to ask questions.

Zack and Woody were hanging around the skydeck, wasting time until it was time for them to get ready.

"Found anyone to take Maya's friend to the dance yet?"

Zack sighed. "No...I keep waiting for Cody to come around, but he's being firm about not doing it...And this girl is perfect for him. She even likes sensitive, brainy guys..."

Woody shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just glad the nightmares are finally over..."

Zack turned to Woody. "Wait a minute...They are? Since when?"

"Well, I'm not sure when exactly, but when I got back from Christmas break, they were gone. Its actually really weird. Now, he hugs his pillow tight and almost has this goofy grin on his face..."

Zack frowned. "Okay...that's odd. Anything else?"

Woody paused to think. "Well, the songs he sings in the shower are now almost all love ballads, and he's always whistling around the cabin...when he's there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know Cody, when he's not in class or working, he's almost always in the library studying..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's not too usual..."

"I know...Of course, I never knew he had such a love for cherry popsicles..."

Zack looked at Woody strange. "Huh?"

Woody shrugged. "Several nights, he's come back to the cabin and its been obvious he's been eating a cherry popsicle. And does he ever bring me one? No! Talk about hurtful!"

Zack paused to think. "Something strange is going on with my brother...Maybe I should call Mom and see if she knows anything? Maybe he got into a college, but he's not telling anyone yet?"

_Meanwhile, in London and Bailey's Cabin_

Bailey is finishing getting ready for work while London is laying on her bed reading a fashion magazine. Bailey is about to leave when London stops her.

"Are you sure you're okay with working tonight and not going to the ball?"

Bailey nodded. "I'm sure. I just have no desire to go..."

"If you say so. But if you change your mind...you can close the store early. I mean, this is our senior year after all..."

Bailey smiled. "I appreciate the offer, London, but I'll be fine. I promise..."

"If you say so...By the way, I know you wanted to go home for your grandmother's birthday, but times were tough. I want to make sure your family sees you graduate, so I want to fly them all in for that weekend..."

Bailey just looked at London incredulously. "Are you serious?"

London smiled and got up off of her bed. "Of course I am. I know I don't always act like it, but Bailey, you really are one of my best friends. And my magic mirror showed me that I need to appreciate the people who are always there for me..."

Bailey pulled London into a hug. "Thank you so much, London. I don't know what to say..."

"Don't worry about it. Plus, I've noticed you've been a lot happier lately, and I'm glad..."

Bailey paused. "Well, I decided it was time to finally move on with my life, so I taking a new attitude and moving forward..."

"Whatever makes you happy, you have my full support."

Bailey smiled. "I appreciate that. Well, I need to get going. Have fun tonight, London..." And with that, Bailey headed out of their cabin.

London just grinned. "You too, Bailey. I hope you and Cody have a wonderful time tonight..." She laughed. "They should know by now that Kirby will spill everything he knows for a free sandwich..."

_Meanwhile, in Cody and Woody's Cabin_

Cody was gathering up everything he would need for the evening. In addition to his telescope, he had packed he and Bailey a nice picnic dinner to share under the stars. Beyond that, he had stopped and bought Bailey a corsage. He wanted the night to be perfect, but he soon smiled as he realized it would be because he would be spending it with the woman he loved. But his smile quickly disappeared as he mentally kicked himself for the stupid practice date on their last anniversary. He shook away those thoughts. He had his Bailey Bunny back now, and that was what was important. And his smile returned as he looked at the final thing he was packing away. His heart began to beat faster as he thought about it. Cody closed his eyes and said a silent prayer that it would mean as much to Bailey as it did to him.

After securing everything, Cody double checked to make sure he had everything when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and grinned when he saw it was his Mom calling.

"Hey, Mom. To what do I owe this call?"

Carey paused. "Cody, is everything alright? Zack called me a little while ago, and he said you have been acting strange..."

Cody sighed. "He did, huh?"

"Yeah, and Cody, I'm concerned. I know you took your breakup with Bailey hard. I just want to make sure my baby boy is okay..."

Cody paused and debated what to tell his mother. Finally, he decided the cat would be out of the bag in a matter of hours anyways, so he didn't think Bailey would mind him telling his mother. "Well, Mom, there has been something different..."

"What is it, Cody?"

Cody smiled. "Bailey and I are back together. We have been for a month now..."

Carey sighed. "Thank you, God! Ummm...I mean..."

Cody laughed. "Its okay..."

"Cody, are you sure about this?"

"Positive. Mom, I love Bailey. I never stopped, and I never want to stop. And she feels the same way that I do. We realized we both made mistakes, but we're ready to put them behind us and move forward..."

"Well, if you are sure, then I'm happy for you both. I just want you to be happy, Cody..."

"I am, Mom. I've never been happier in my life than when I'm with Bailey. And she told me the same thing..."

Carey smiled. "Well, you tell her I can't wait to finally meet her at graduation. I can't wait to meet this girl who my son is ga ga over..."

Cody grinned. "I will. But, I need to be going. We're going to have a picnic while we watch the meteor shower before outing our relationship at the dance..."

"And she was okay with watching the meteor shower?"

"She wants to see it as much as I do..."

Carey laughed. "Then she is perfect for you..."

_Meanwhile, in One of a Kind._

Bailey was working, but her mind was only what was going to happen later. Constantly, she checked her watch, but time seemed to be dragging by slowly. As frustrated as she was getting, she was saved when her cell phone began vibrating. Bailey grinned when she saw it was home calling.

"Hey, Mom..."

Eunice smiled. "Bailey, so good to talk to you again. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing. Can you talk?"

"Yeah, I'm at work, but its dead in here. So, I have plenty of time."

"Good. Is everything okay? I can sense some aggravation in your voice..."

Bailey paused. Everything would be out in the open soon anyways. Cody wouldn't mind if she told her Mom a little early.

"Well, Mom, I'm just a little anxious. Tonight is a big night..."

"Why is that?"

"Mom...Cody and I are back together. We have been since Christmas night. We've kept it a secret since then, but tonight, we're going public once again..."

Eunice paused. "Bailey, are you sure about this? You two had a nasty breakup..."

"Because we both acted like idiots. But it didn't mean we stopped loving each other. And Mom, we both love each other heart and soul. We realized we both need the other, and we're a lot happier together than apart..."

"Well, if you're sure, I'm happy for you..."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I'm really happy..."

Eunice smiled. "Well, you tell that young man that I can't wait to finally meet him..."

"I will...Oh yeah! Speaking of which, London wants to fly my whole family in for my graduation. I just need you all to find flights that work for you, and she'll pay for it..."

"That sounds wonderful, Bailey! We'll all be so proud to watch you graduate. And we'll definitely have to meet Cody then..."

Bailey grinned. "I'll tell him..."

Eunice smiled too. "Well, I can tell you're really excited about this. I'm just so glad to hear the smile in your voice again..."

About that time, Cody slipped into the store and wrapped his arm around Bailey's waist.

Bailey giggled. "Mom, I have to go...Cody's here."

Eunice laughed. "Alright, Honey. You two have fun tonight..."

Bailey closed her phone, and she turned to find Cody looking at her.

"You told your Mom I'm here?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...I told her everything. I figured that since..."

Cody leaned down and kissed Bailey. When he pulled back, he was grinning. "My Mom called me earlier, and I told her too. She can't wait to finally meet you..."

Bailey grinned back. "My Mom said the same thing...And London told me I could close the store early tonight if I wanted too..."

"Well, lets close it up and get this night started then!"

"My thoughts exactly!"

_Meanwhile, back in London and Bailey's Cabin_

London was finishing getting ready for the Winter Ball. If all went well, she would be voted Winter Queen. She was finishing up applying her make up when she heard a knock at her door.

London sighed. "Whoever it is better have a good excuse for interrupting me..."

London got up to open the door, and she was surprised at who she saw.

"Goose?"

Moose smiled. "Hey there, London...Surprise!"

London was still in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my Bailey and take her back to Kettlecorn with me where she belongs. Of course, first, I need to show the Little Feller that no one breaks my Bailey's heart and gets away with it..."

London looks horrified. "Does she know you were coming?"

Moose shook his head. "Nope, I wanted to surprise her!"

London sighed. "Oh, she'll be surprised alright...They both will."

_To be Continued..._


	3. Under the Stars

_Chapter 3_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_In One of a Kind_

"What do you think? Leave our formal wear here and come back and change after the meteor shower?"

Bailey paused to consider that. "Yeah, that's probably the best idea. No sense in getting our good clothes dirty beforehand..."

Cody grinned. "I think you just want to put off showing me your new dress..."

Bailey grinned right back. "And if I am?"

"Then consider my curiosity sufficiently piqued..."

Bailey laughed. "I wouldn't say that if I were you. You are my Cody Kitten, and you know what they say about curiosity and felines..."

Cody laughed. "Good point..." Cody reached down to grab the picnic basket, and offered his arm to Bailey. "So, shall we?"

Bailey hooked her arm with his. "We shall...Let's go!"

_Meanwhile, in Kettlecorn_

Eunice was busy making dinner while her husband finished up his evening chores. She couldn't help smiling knowing her daughter was so happy. And she couldn't wait to finally meet Cody Martin. Clyde Pickett came inside to wash his hands before dinner and turned towards his wife.

"Dinner almost ready?"

Eunice nodded. "Just about. Go wake your mother up so she can eat too..."

Clyde nodded and headed off to bring his mother back to the table. And once he did, he found Eunice setting the food on the table. After helping his mother into her chair, he happened to glance over at his wife and saw her smiling.

"Something's got you in a good mood..."

Eunice looked up. "Well, I just talked to Bailey a little while ago..."

Clyde grinned. "How is our little girl?"

"I finally found out why she's been so happy lately..."

"Oh yeah? Do tell..."

Eunice smiled. "She and Cody got back together on Christmas night. Seems like they had a long talk that night, and both realized they had been acting all a fool. They apologized to each other, and Bailey says they are happy again. She said they never stopped loving each other, and they needed each other..."

Clyde paused. "So, you say she says she's really happy?"

"Yeah, she does. And I could tell from the way she said it that she truly means it..."

Clyde nodded. "Alright then. Well, I guess we need to meet this boy then..."

Eunice smiled again. "Already taken care of. Bailey said her roommate, London Tipton, is going to fly out the whole family for their graduation in a few months..."

Clyde smiled. "Good. It will be good to finally see Bailey with my own eyes...and a chance to have a little chat with Cody Martin..."

Eunice gave him a look. "Clyde, you behave yourself. That's the young man she loves. Don't you dare do anything to try to scare him off!"

"Yeah, Clyde. She's happy...let her be!"

Clyde sighed and looked over at his mother. "I wasn't going to do any such thing. I just want the chance to get to know the boy our daughter loves. Is that so wrong?"

Grammy Pickett grinned. "I suppose not..."

Clyde paused to think. "I do know of someone who isn't going to take this news too well though...Moose."

Eunice rolled her eyes. "What does what he thinks matter?"

"He doesn't think very highly of Cody, and he thinks Bailey needs to come home to be away from people he says are bad influences on her."

Eunice shook her head. "Clyde, I know you like that boy, but to be frank, I never have!"

Clyde looked surprised. "You haven't?"

"No, I only put up with him because I had to. He always treated Bailey like she was his property. He never respected what she thought, and he was always trying to tell her what to do. Thankfully, our daughter has common sense and would ignore him most of the time. And do you remember how upset he got when she wouldn't leave the ship with him? And when he found out Bailey was dating Cody?"

Clyde sighed. "I remember. He punched a hole in our barn door. He did fix it though..."

Eunice just looked at her husband again. "And that makes it okay?"

"I didn't say that..."

"And every time he sees us, he asks us if Bailey has mentioned him. I would have thought after a few months it would have sunk into his thick skull that she hadn't..."

Clyde nodded. "Yeah, he didn't seem happy when I mentioned that Bailey had mentioned marrying Cody..."

Grammy Pickett spoke up again. "Because he's a jerk! My Bailey has finally got her a feller who respects her, encourages her and loves her. Of course she never mentioned him. She never even thought about him..."

Eunice turned to her mother in law. "How do you know that?"

Grammy Pickett laughed. "Because Bailey told me so. When she was home a few months ago, she and I had a little chat..."

"About what?"

"That's between me and her. But, I will say. She only had one boy on her mind...and it wasn't Moose!"

_Meanwhile, Back in London and Bailey's Cabin_

Moose looked around. "So, where is my little Bailey? I can't wait to see her again!"

London paused trying to think. "She's not here..."

"You know where I can find her?"

"Well...She was working tonight, but I told her she could close up early. I'm betting she did..."

"I'll just head up there then. Where is it?"

London paused. "Its on the promenade deck...Its called One of a Kind..."

"Moose nodded. "I'll go check then..." He paused. "How come you are all gussied up?"

London sighed. "Tonight is the Winter Ball..."

Moose grinned. "Perfect! I'll go find Bailey and take her for some dancin'!" And with that, Moose ran away from the cabin.

London immediately pulled out her cell phone and dialed Bailey's number. "Come on, Farm Girl! Pick up!"

Arriving at One of a Kind, Moose found all the lights off and the door locked.

"Now, where could she be? And why was London acting so weird?" Moose shook his head. "I knew I was right. I need to get her away from all of these crazy people. Maybe I should go check out that dance and see if she's there..."

_Meanwhile, in the Crow's Nest_

Cody and Bailey have finished eating their picnic dinner. Now, they are lying back on the blanket Cody had packed, and both are looking up at the meteor shower. Bailey has her head on Cody's shoulder, and they have their fingers intertwined. Bailey feels her cell phone begin to vibrate. She reaches for it but changes her mind.

"Whoever it is, they can wait..."

Cody looked over. "Sounds good to be. I want you all to myself for as long as I can..."

Bailey smiled and looked back up at the sky. "Cody, have you ever seen anything more beautiful?"

Cody smiled back at her. "Every time I look at you..."

Bailey giggled. "That's twice you've said something like that to me..."

Cody feigned shock. "Only twice? I should have been telling you everyday how beautiful you are..."

"You did...And you know what I meant..."

"I do..."

"Cody, this has been a perfect one month anniversary..."

"Yeah, it has..." Cody sighed. "If only..."

"Don't..."

"I can't help it. I should have known that our anniversary would have been perfect just by being with you. I just wanted..." Cody sighed. "I don't know..."

Bailey turned to look at Cody. "Tell me..."

"I just wanted to impress you. I wanted you to be able to see how much I loved you. You deserve the best..."

Bailey smiled. "I knew how much you did. Cody, I don't need grand gestures. I just need to know you love me, and I know you do..."

Cody smiled back. "And I do...so much...Bails, life without you...well, it sucked."

Bailey nodded. "So did life without you...It felt like half of me was missing."

"Same here. And I never want to feel that ever again."

"And we won't. We're wiser now..."

"I sure hope so..." Cody paused. "Bailey, I want give you something..."

Cody reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I was going to give this to you that night. And I've had it with me ever since. I could never get rid of it because I always held out hope that I'd get the chance to give this to you again. And since we are making our relationship public again tonight, I wanted to do it right..."

Bailey nodded and took the box from Cody and opened it. And what she saw surprised her. "Cody! Is this what I think it is!"

Cody smiled. "Not exactly...This is a promise ring. It represents a promise I'm making to you right here and right now..."

Bailey looked up and into Cody's eyes. She could see his love for her shining back at her and it engulfed her her in a feeling of warmth. "What promise is that?"

"That when the time is right...and if you say yes...I'm going to add another ring to go with this one. And then when were both ready, I'll add a third one to complete the set..."

Bailey smiled. "I like...no, I love the sound of that..."

"May I?"

Bailey nodded, and Cody slipped the ring on to Bailey's finger. Bailey grinned and looked back up at Cody. "Its a perfect fit..."

Cody smiled. "Just like you are by my side..."

Bailey could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "And you by mine...Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"I want...no, I need to make a promise to you tonight too..."

"What's that?"

Bailey smiled. "When you do ask me, I promise you my answer will be yes..."

Cody grinned. "Now you tell me..." Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey. "I love you, Bails."

"I love you too, Cody...With all my heart and soul."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Congrats to the Green Bay Packers! Thank you for proving that the good guys can come out on top.**_  
_


	4. Heading to the Ball

_Chapter 4_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

_One of a Kind _

Bailey and Cody had finished watching the meteor shower together, and had returned back to One of a Kind. And by then, neither one cared if anyone saw them holding hands or smiling at each other. In fact, neither one could remember if they had seen anyone else as they walked back to the store. Bailey unlocked the door, and locked it back up behind them once they were inside. She turned to Cody and smiled.

"Thank you for such a wonderful evening..."

Cody smiled back. "You are very welcome...But its only half over. We still have a ball to get to."

"I know. I wonder what everyone's reaction will be..."

Cody shrugged. "Don't know and don't care. I get to spend the evening dancing the night away with the most beautiful woman in the world..." He grinned. "If anyone has a problem with that...oh well."

Bailey giggled. "I guess that lets me dance the night away with the most handsome guy. Let the other girls drown in their jealousy..."

Cody pulled Bailey into his arms and kissed her. "I think we need to get changed. I can't wait to see you in your dress..."

Bailey grinned. "Sounds like a plan. I hid our clothes in the store room. London never goes in there..."

Both grabbed their bags, and each took it to one of the store's dressing rooms. About ten minutes later, both walked out at the same time. And both just stared at the other.

Cody just smiled. "Wow..."

Bailey did a little twirl in her dress.

"Bails, you look gorgeous...That color blue looks amazing on you..."

Bailey grinned. "I was hoping you would think so...It's Yale Blue..."

Cody grinned back. "Lets hope that's a sign then. I could definitely see spending the next four years with you wearing that color..."

Bailey smiled before she paused. "Cody, what happens if only one of us gets in there?"

Cody took her hands in his. "Then we'll find another school color that looks good on you...And, Bails, to be honest, I can't imagine any that wouldn't..."

"So, if you got in and I didn't, you wouldn't go?"

Cody smiled. "Of course not. Whereverest thou goes, I goest..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Me too..."

"But, Bails, I would never want to go to a school that is stupid enough not to want you. If they didn't, that would tell me all I needed to know about them..."

"Same here...Now, you ready to head to the Winter Ball?"

"One moment..." Cody went over to bag to get the corsage he bought. "As beautiful as milady looks, something is missing..."

Bailey grinned when she saw what Cody had. "Cody, its beautiful..."

"May I?"

Bailey held out her hand as Cody slipped it on to her wrist. Bailey giggled. "I feel like I'm about to go to the prom..."

Cody paused. "Speaking of which, am I too early to go ahead and ask you to be my date for it?"

Bailey smiled. "I thought you would never ask...And of course, my answer is yes..."

Cody pulled her into his arms. "I think I can get use to you saying yes to questions that I ask you..."

Bailey giggled. "Just keep asking the right ones..."

"I'll try...Now, my soon to be Winter Ball Queen, shall we go?"

"You really think I have a chance to win?"

Cody smiled. "They would be fools if you didn't. Either way though, you will always be my Queen..."

Bailey smiled back. "And you will always be my Prince Charming..."

Cody grinned. "Good...because there's already a jester in the family..."

Bailey laughed. "Come on...I can't wait to show my feller off to the world..."

_Meanwhile at the Winter Ball_

Addison, Woody, Zack, Maya and Maya's friend were all standing around drinking a cup of punch as they were taking a break from the dance floor.

Maya grinned. "I must say, Zack...You actually do clean up nicely..."

Zack grinned back. "I always could...when I want to..."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you did for tonight..." She sighed to herself. "Baby steps..."

Addison laughed. "Well, I'm proud of Woody tonight too. I haven't seen any signs of corn chips in his hair, and he bought this for me..." She held up her wrist to show a candy bracelet.

Zack shook his head. "Good one, Woodchuck..."

They were interrupted by London running up to them out of breath.

"We...have...a...problem!"

Everyone looked at London funny. Zack smirked. "Did you lose contact with your shoe submarine?"

London glared at him. "As if...No, Goose is here!"

"Goose?"

"Yeah...you know, the hillbilly from Kettlecorn..."

Zack nodded. "Oh...Moose. What's the problem then?"

London sighed. "He came to get Bailey back and drag her back to the podunk town...after he has a little 'chat' with Cody..."

Woody shrugged. "Well, neither one are here..."

"They will be soon..."

Zack looked at London in confusion. "Huh?"

Maya paused and smiled. "They're coming here together, aren't they? They're back together, right?"

London nodded. "Yeah, they are..."

Zack shook his head. "Wait a minute! What?"

London sighed. "Long story, but they got back together Christmas night..."

Zack was incredulous. "And my own brother didn't tell me?"

"They didn't tell anyone..."

"You knew!"

London rolled her eyes. "Because Kirby caught them making out again. And Kirby will spill everything he knows for a ham sandwich...That's not the point though!"

Zack paused to think and then groaned. He turned and smacked Woody's arm. "You idiot! He didn't come back to your cabin after eating a cherry popsicle! Those were lipstick smudges!"

Woody paused to think too. "I guess so...And this certainly explains why he's been in such a good mood since I got back to the ship..."

London glared at all of them. "Can we focus? What do we do about Goose?"

"What can we do?"

"He already doesn't like Cody. How do you think he's going to react when he sees them back together?"

Zack spoke up. "Look...If he tries to do anything to my brother, I'll be the first to step in. But dealing with this is something Cody and Bailey are going to have to do themselves. I mean..."

"Hey y'all!"

Everyone turned around to see Moose walking up to them.

"Y'all seen my Bailey or the Little Feller around here?"

London shook her head. "No, we haven't. I already told you. I don't think they were coming to the dance..."

Moose nodded. "Well, if you don't mind, I'll stick around for a bit. I've looked all around the boat, and I ain't seem hide nor hair of either one of them. And to be honest, I need to use the little bull's room. I'll be right back..."

Moose headed away, and everyone else just looked at each other. Zack spoke up. "Are you sure they are coming here tonight?"

Woody nodded. "Yeah, they are...Look!" He pointed and everyone turned to see Cody and Bailey walk into the dance arm in arm. After getting their picture taken, they noticed their friends and walked over to them. Looking as nonchalantly as possible, they joined them.

"Hey guys...Everyone having fun?"

Zack smirked at his brother. "So far...But not as much as you two have had for the past month playing us for fools..."

Bailey and Cody turned to each other in surprise and then back at everyone else. "You all knew?"

London sighed. "No, but I did. They just found out a few minutes ago..."

Cody shrugged. "We just wanted to have time to ourselves for a little while first..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...We weren't trying to make anyone feel bad. Our plan was to tell everyone tonight by showing up here together..."

Maya smiled. "Well, congratulations on being back together. That's the important thing."

Bailey smiled back. "Thank you. We're both pretty happy..."

Addison grabbed Bailey's hand. "What is that on your finger?"

Bailey smiled at again. "Its a promise ring Cody gave me earlier. Its a symbol of promises we made to each other earlier..."

Maya and Addison both began to swoon. "Awww...How romantic!"

Zack and Woody glared at Cody. "Yeah...Thanks, Cody..."

London spoke up. "Yeah, yeah...We can discuss that later. You two have a problem right now!"

Bailey turned to London and Cody wrapped his arm around her waist. "What problem?"

"Well..." But London was interrupted.

"Little Feller, you get your cotton pickin' hands off of my Bailey right now!"

_To be Continued..._


	5. The Confrontation

_Chapter 5_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

Immediately, Cody and Bailey turned and saw Moose standing there. Both were surprised that he was there, and neither could miss seeing how red his face was getting and the look of absolute hatred it contained. But before either could do or say anything, Moose charged over towards them and pushed Cody out of the way. Fortunately, Zack and Woody were close enough by to catch him from falling.

Bailey immediately turned to make sure Cody was alright. Once she did, she turned back to glare at Moose. "Why are you here? And why did you just shove Cody?"

"Because he had his hands all over you!"

Bailey looked at him exasperated. "So? Did you ever consider he did because I wanted him to?"

Moose looked confused. "But he's your ex-boyfriend! He shouldn't have his hands on you now!"

"Well, he did because he's now my ex ex-boyfriend!"

"Huh?"

Bailey sighed. "Cody and I have been back together for a month now. He's my boyfriend again."

By this time, Cody had gotten back up and returned next to Bailey's side. And instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her again as if to protect her.

Moose glared at him again. "I told you not to touch her, Little Feller!"

Bailey shook her head. "Hello? What part of he's my boyfriend and I like having his arm around me did you not understand?"

Moose wasn't about to back down. "But he cheated on you!"

"No, he didn't! That was a misunderstanding that snowballed out of our control. But we talked it out on Christmas night. We still loved each other, and we both still had the other's hearts." Bailey smirked at Moose. "Besides, like you would have any room to talk..."

Moose frowned. "I don't know what you are talking about..."

"Oh, when I was home last summer, I ran in to Mary Lou. She mentioned you had taken her to the movies a good two months before I left for the boat..." Bailey began laughing. "But once she got her teeth fixed, she dropped you like a hot potato..."

Moose glared at her. "You ain't one to be talking! You were here flirting it up with the Little Feller!"

"So? I was single and he was single."

"So? But Bailey, you're my girl!"

Bailey began laughing again. "No, I'm not. I'm Cody's girl. But that the difference between the two of you, Moose. Cody doesn't see me as possession. He sees me as his equal and encourages me to pursue my dreams."

"Bailey! Stop talking such gibberish! You're place is back on the farm..."

Bailey shook her head. "No, its not. My place is right here with my friends..." She wrapped her arm around Cody's waist. "My place is right here with Cody..."

Moose's anger began rising again. "He's not right for you!"

Bailey glared back at him. "Moose, what you think about my personal life means nothing to me. When I heard about you and Mary Lou, it didn't bother me. I could care less what you do now. Your personal life is yours...but I feel sorry for the girl you end up with. You have no idea how to treat a lady..."

Moose grinned. "You seemed to think so!"

Bailey began laughing again. "Because I didn't know any better. In case you didn't realize, growing up in Kettlecorn, there were only about ten people our age, and most of them didn't have half of their teeth. That's why I wanted to go out in the world because I knew there had to be more out there..."

Moose scoffed. "Kettlecorn has everything anyone could ever want..."

"Maybe for you, but not for me. When I came to this boat, I realized there were different types of people in the world. People from all different ways of life and cultures. And I realized that there are things such as chivalry and romance. Sure, I read about them in books, but seeing them first hand was an experience I can't even begin to describe..."

"Well, you've seen them, not you can come home..."

Bailey sighed. "Moose, you still don't get it. Kettlecorn will always hold a dear place in my heart, but this is my home now. After seeing everything the world has to offer, I could never go back to Kettlecorn to stay. There is just too much for me left to see. Plus, I plan on going to college next year..."

Moose rolled his eyes. "Yeah, your Pa says you want to be a doctor for kids. Don't you know that only men can be doctors? Women belong in the home raising kids, not being their doctor..."

Bailey glared at him. "Excuse me?"

Cody wrapped his arm around Bailey. "Easy there, Sweetie. He's completely wrong, and everyone here but him knows that..."

Bailey collected herself. "Thank you, Cody...You're right."

Moose let out a growl. "Little Feller, I swear...If you don't stay out of this...This is between Bailey and me!"

Bailey looked up again. "Moose, why are you even still here? Go home...Nobody wants you here."

"I'll be glad to get away from this infernal place...once you agree to come home with me!"

Bailey was exasperated. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because its time for us to start our life together. Even after your fling with the Little Feller, I'll forgive you and take you back because I still love you. And I know you still love me."

Cody was about to say something when Bailey squeezed his hand. He stopped, and she addressed Moose. "Moose, my life is with Cody. And in case you haven't noticed it, I have no desire to return home. I love Cody with all of my heart and soul. Moose, I don't love you and never did. I didn't know what love truly was until I met Cody. And to be honest, you don't love me either..."

Moose growled again. "Of course I do!"

Bailey shook her head. "No, you don't. Because you don't even know who I am. You may be in love with who you want me to be, but that's not who I am. On the other hand, Cody knows exactly who I am. He embraces who I am, and loves me because of it. He accepts my flaws and loves me despite them. Cody encourages me to chase my goals, and he will do everything in his power to help me achieve them. And I feel the exact same way about him. I want a long life with him..." She turned to face Cody and smiled. "Because not only is he the man I love, but he's my best friend..."

Cody smiled back at her. "And you are mine as well...I love you, Bailey..."

"I love you too..."

Moose was enraged. "He's brainwashed you!"

Bailey sighed. "No, Moose...All Cody has ever done was love me..." She turned to face him. "I ask you to accept that and move on with your life..."

Moose smirked. "You really think your folks are going to approve of this scrawny runt?"

Bailey smiled. "I know they will. When I told my Mom that we were back together, she was happy for us. She told me they looked forward to finally meeting Cody. And I look forward to meeting his Mom too."

"Bailey, you've left me no choice. I'm going to have to do this the hard way!"

Bailey glared at him. "I've already told you...I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Shut up and do what I tell you to do!"

Moose grabbed Bailey's wrist and began to try to drag her away with him. But Cody wasn't about to let that happen. Quickly, Cody grabbed Moose's hand and pulled it away from Bailey's wrist. "Don't ever touch her again!"

Moose smirked. "Or you'll what?"

Cody smirked right back at him. "I'll do whatever I have to do to protect, Bailey..."

Moose began laughing. "You? That's funny. You couldn't wrassle a pig if you had to..."

Cody began glaring at Moose. "Well, you are a pig alright, you've proven then..." He paused and turned to Bailey. "No offense to Porkers..." Cody turned back to Moose. "And you may be bigger than I am, but I warn you that I have training in the martial arts..."

"Ooooo...I'm so scared..."

Cody was about to try to administer the Strike of the Sleeping Cobra when Bailey stepped in front of him and forced him to look into her eyes. "Cody, calm down. He's just trying to bait you into a fight. You're better than that..."

Cody sighed. "You're right. But Bails, I would do whatever it took to protect you..."

Bailey smiled. "I know...And that means more to me than I can ever say. But its just not worth it. Moose will be gone soon, and we'll never have to see him or deal with him ever again. He can't bother us unless we let him. Besides, we've made our appearance here. How about we go somewhere else, just the two of us?"

Cody paused and nodded. "Alright...Let's go." Cody smiled. "How about we head back to where we were and enjoy a private dance under the stars..."

Bailey grinned. "Now, that sounds perfect to me."

Cody and Bailey take each other's hand and begin to walk away. Moose stands there in shock for a moment before he shakes his head. He glares at them both. "I don't think so!" He runs after them and reaches out and grabs Bailey's shoulder. "Don't you dare walk away from me!"

Cody turned and immediately slapped Moose's hand away from Bailey.

"I told you to never touch her ever again!"

"And I told you to keep your hands off of her..."

Bailey spoke up. "Moose, go away before we call someone over to make you leave us alone!"

Moose raised his hand and slapped Bailey. "I told you to shut up!"

Cody immediately turned to Bailey to make sure she was alright. And that's why he never saw it coming. Moose grabbed Cody's shoulder and turned him around. And that's when Cody saw Moose's fist coming straight towards his face. And the next thing Cody knew, he was surrounded by darkness.

_To be Continued..._


	6. The Aftermath

_Chapter 6_

_I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did. _

_Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves._

Once Moose's fist made contact with Cody's face, Cody dropped like a rock. Bailey could only look on in horror as she saw it happen in slow motion. Watching Cody slump to the ground, the sting in her cheek seemed to melt away. In an instant, she was down by Cody's side to make sure he was alright. And then she began to panic. Cody was unconscious and blood was pouring from his nose.

Moose just smirked as he looked down. "That's teach you to try to best me, Little Feller!"

But before he could do anything else, he found his arms being pulled behind his back. He looked around, and found Zack and Woody holding him back.

"You two want some too?"

Zack glared at him. "No one does that to my brother!" And with that, Zack yanked Moose's arm even further behind his back. But before either could do anything else, they heard an authoritative voice.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Everyone (except Cody and Bailey) turned to see Moseby running over to them.

"Why are you two holding him back?" Moseby looked down. "And why is Cody lying on the floor bleeding?"

Maya spoke up. "The guy they are holding back slapped Bailey and then sucker punched Cody..."

Moseby turned surprised. "Moose? But I thought you were a good guy!"

Moose spoke up. "I am, Sir. I just did what I had to do. Bailey was back talking me and not doing what I told her to do, and the Little Feller wasn't minding his own business..."

Moseby just shook his head. "That's the most despicable thing I have ever heard. Young man, you have a lot to learn about how to treat people..." Moseby pulled out his phone. "Have Kirby and a paramedic report to the ballroom ASAP..."

Zack spoke up. "What do you want us to do with this idiot?"

Moseby paused and grinned. "Do whatever you want until Kirby shows up."

And with that, Moseby knelt down next to Bailey.

"How is he?"

Bailey had tears in her eyes. "He's unconscious and his nose is bleeding. I think it might be broken!"

Moseby nodded and pulled out his pocket hanky. "Here, use this to try to stop the bleeding. I've called a paramedic to come to tend to him..." Moseby smiled at Bailey. "Don't worry. I've known Cody for over six years. He's a lot tougher than he looks..."

Bailey nodded and proceeded to wipe up the blood and then tried to apply pressure. And as she did that, her free hand just softly stroked Cody's hair.

"Come on, Cody. Wake up for me. Let me see those beautiful blue eyes again. Please? For me? I love you so much..."

Cody's eyes began to flutter. Finally focusing his vision, he looked up to see Bailey looking down at him. "What happened?"

Bailey exhaled and smiled. "Oh, thank goodness!"

Cody tried to get up, but Bailey held him down. "Don't. I don't want you to get up until the paramedic checks you out..."

Cody was about to argue but decided against it. And that's when he saw Bailey's cheek was red. Cody reached up and gently rubbed it.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay...because you're here with me."

Cody smiled at her. "I always will be."

At that moment, Kirby and a paramedic came rushing into the ballroom. Moseby directed Kirby over to Moose was now bleeding himself and was complaining that he had been kneed in the groin. As Kirby handcuffed him and lead him away, Zack and Woody just smiled at him and told him to say hello to Bubba.

The paramedic dropped next to Cody and began examining him. The first course of business was getting Cody's nose to stop bleeding. And once it did, two small gauze pads were slid into his nose.

"Well, I think the bleeding has stopped, but I do think your nose is broken. We need to get you to the infirmary..."

The EMT and Bailey helped Cody up. Bailey spoke up. "I'm coming with you."

Cody nodded, and the three of them began heading out of the ballroom. Zack, Maya, her friend, Woody and Addison were about to follow when Moseby stopped them.

"He's in good hands. Besides, there is a winter ball going on. I suggest everyone try to put this behind us as much as we can."

_In the Infirmary_

Cody was immediately taken into the exam room where the doctor began examining him. Normally, the doctor would have made Bailey wait outside, but from the look on both of the teens' faces, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Well, I need to reset your nose. I'll warn you. This may hurt quite a bit..."

Cody nodded and Bailey grabbed his hand to comfort him. The doctor gently grabbed Cody's nose, and with one swift move, reset it back in place. Bailey was waiting for a scream, but it never came. Instead, he just squeezed her hand tight and his face froze. She couldn't help but notice his eyes begin to bulge, and his face begin to shake.

"You're in pain, aren't you?"

Cody just nodded.

Bailey smiled at him. "Its okay. Its over now..."

The doctor chuckled. "Not quite...I need to add a split to his nose so it will heal properly..."

The doctor proceeded to do just that, and gave Cody a prescription for pain medications if he needed them. And once he was done, he moved on leaving Cody and Bailey alone in the exam room. Cody got up and looked at himself in the mirror. And when he saw his reflection, he could see the splint and two black eyes forming. Cody began to laugh, and he turned to Bailey.

"Not exactly how I planned on looking on our big night...Thankfully they already took our picture when we first got there."

Bailey smiled at him. "You're still the most handsome guy I've ever seen..."

Cody smiled back at her. "We should get your eyes checked while we're here..."

"I don't need my eyes. Its what my heart sees. And it sees the man I love. The man who was ready to take on Moose for me..."

"I would do anything for you."

"I know you would. But right now, all I want is for you to hold me right now."

Cody pulled Bailey into his arms and held her tight. "Like this?"

Bailey sighed in contentment. "Just like this..."

Cody began to chuckle. "Good...Because I think Eskimo kisses might be out of the question for a while..."

Bailey began laughing. "Yeah, probably a good idea..."

Cody pulled back slowly. "But I can still give you real ones..."

"You better..."

Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey tenderly yet passionately. And when they parted, both just looked at the other and smiled. Well, they did until they heard someone clear their throat. Both turned to see Moseby standing there.

"I hate to interrupt...But I need you both to officially press charges against Moose..."

Bailey nodded, but Cody paused. "Do you mind if I speak to Bailey for a moment first?"

Moseby nodded, and Cody lead Bailey aside.

"Bails, if us doing this will cause your family any problems back in Kettlecorn..."

Bailey cut him off. "Cody, he assaulted you!"

"The both of us. But I just want to do the right thing here..."

Bailey smiled at him. "The right thing is to teach Moose that his behavior will not be tolerated. If the includes him spending some time behind bars, so be it. And don't worry about Kettlecorn. Once people find out that he slapped me and then sucker punched you for defending me, I think they will be on our side."

"You sure?"

"Positive..."

Cody nodded. "Alright then."

Bailey smiled at him again. "But thank you for thinking of my family's well being. That's one of the reasons I love you so much. And, I think it will earn you a few bonus points in my Dad's eyes..."

Cody grinned. "I'll probably need as many of those as I can get..."

Both turned, and nodded at Moseby. "We're ready to go file formal complaints..."

Moseby nodded. "Follow me then..."

Cody stopped him. "Can we make this quick? I promised the woman I love a night of dancing at the Winter Ball. I want to keep my promise..."

Moseby smiled. "I'll see what we can do..."

_In the Ship's Brig_

Moose found himself in a jail cell, and he was complaining to anyone that would listen to him that he had done nothing wrong. When Kirby entered, he was about to say something again when he noticed he was followed by Cody and Bailey.

Moose glared at them. "You do know I will eventually get out of her, right?"

Cody smirked. "I think you can just add another charge of terroristic threatening to your wrap sheet."

"You may think you have won, but this isn't over, Little Feller!"

Bailey spoke up. "Oh, but I think it is. You see, Moose. I just called my parents a few minutes ago. By tomorrow morning, it will be all over town what you tried to to tonight. I don't think you will have quite the homecoming you are expecting."

Cody spoke again. "Of course, it will probably be several years before you get to go home. We both fully plan on prosecuting you to the fullest extent of the law. And when you do get out, there will be a restraining order ready to be slapped on you so fast it will make your head spin."

"I'm not afraid..."

Bailey smirked at him. "You better be. You see, I just spoke with our friend London a few minutes ago. Her father has a surprise waiting on you when you do get out..."

Moose paused. "A surprise?"

Cody laughed. "Tell me, Moose...Are you fond of goats?"

Moose swallowed. Both of them seemed way too confident. And he remembered that London Tipton was very wealthy. For the first time, he was a little afraid of what would happen.

_Back at the Winter Ball_

The dance did go on, and all of the announcements had been made. And of course, London was happy as she had been named Queen of the Winter Ball. Of course, she didn't care that half of the class was now one hundred dollars richer to make it happen. Everyone else was dancing including Maya's friend who met another one of the guys in the class.

Zack and Maya happened to glance over and saw Cody and Bailey walk back into the ballroom with their arms wrapped around each other. Maya nodded, and she and Zack walked over to them.

"Nice look, Codester...Mom's gonna flip. But, I guess no one will be confusing us for a while."

Cody laughed. "She already knows...everything. She was about to hop the next flight to meet us before Bailey took the phone away from me and promised Mom she would take care of me..."

Maya laughed too. "That's a good way to endear yourself to her..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, once my parents heard about what happened, they were grateful to Cody. I just wanted his Mom to know I was going to take care of him like he was trying to do for me."

Zack paused. "Well, I guess we're all going to have to get used to you two being back together again. Congratulations."

"Plan on dealing with it for a long, long time." Cody shook his brother's hand. "And thanks for having my back..."

Zack shrugged and grinned. "No one messes with my brother but me..."

Bailey smiled. "And if you mess with him, you will deal with me. You coming to Cody's aid almost makes up for you trying to manipulate Cody into being your wing man while I was Thailand...And remember, I've once castrated a bull with my bare hands..."

Zack squirmed. "You told her?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I did..." He turned to Bailey. "I want our relationship to built upon trust and honesty..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Me too. We remember that, and everything else will be easy."

"Well, what do you say? Would you like to dance?"

"I would love to."

Cody grinned. "I will warn you. If my eyes begin to swell shut, you may have to lead."

Bailey laughed. "I'm willing to take that chance."

"Good. Because I plan on following you anywhere you lead me...For the rest of my life. Like I said, whereverest thou goes, I goest."

_The End_


End file.
